7 in 10 millennials say they would vote for a socialist

Seventy percent of millennials in a new poll say that they are somewhat or extremely like to vote for a socialist candidate.
The YouGov–Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation poll released on Monday also found that 50 percent of millennials, defined as between the ages of 23 and 38, and 51 percent of Generation Z, or those ages 16 to 22, have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of capitalism, an increase of 8 and 6 percentage points, respectively, from last year.

Only 44 percent of Generation X, 33 percent of baby boomers and 33 percent of the silent generation said they were somewhat or extremely likely to vote for a socialist candidate.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a Democratic White House hopeful, is a self-identified democratic socialist who advocates for left-wing policies like the Green New Deal, "Medicare for All" and increased tax rates on wealthier Americans.
Another front-runner in the 2020 race, progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), said that it would be “wrong” to label her a socialist.

Overall, Americans are more hesitant about voting for a “democratic socialist” than they were in 2018, according to the new survey. Fifty-three percent said they would “never” or were “hesitant” to vote for a candidate who identified as such, compared to 47 percent in 2018.

Capitalism is still viewed more favorably than other economic systems, holding relatively steady at 61 percent favorability from 2018, pollsters found.

However, the survey found that millennials do not have as many negative connotations about socialism and communism as older generations who lived through the Cold War.

Just 7 percent of baby boomers said they had at least a "somewhat favorable" view of communism. 
More than half — 57 percent — of millennial respondents also said they believe the Declaration of Independence better guarantees freedom and inequality over the Communist Manifesto, compared to an overwhelming 94 percent of the silent generation of Americans. 


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